Wagon-jack.



No. 635,304.. Patented Oct. 24, l899.-

C. CULVER.

WAGON JACK.

ication filed Dec. 24, 189

(No' Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

CLARENCE CULVER, OF CONSTANTINE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL W. HARVEY, OF SAME PLACE.

WAGON-JAG K.

SPEClIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,304, dated October 24, 1899. Application filed December 24,1898- Serial No. 700,224. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE CULVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Constantine, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in lVagon-Jacks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to lifting-jacks,.and has for its object the production of a device of this character by means of which a vehicle may be lifted bodily from the ground for the purpose of removing the wheels for lubricating purposes, washing, &c., and this by a single movement of an operating-lever.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the lift will be along substantially vertical lines or lines substantially perpendicular to the ground. Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists of a pair of parallel rock-shafts having crankearms on the ends thereof and arched portions intermediate their ends, a connecting-rod attached to the arched portions of said shafts, a lifting-frame, and pitmen connecting said frame with the crank-arms on said shafts.

In the drawings forming part of this speci fication, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a jack constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of one of the extensible pitmen. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of one of the rockshafts.

The main frame is made up of a pair of longitudinal beams 1 1, having rollers or castcrs 2 2 on the under side thereof, and a crossbeam 3, connecting the beams 1 at one end. Mounted in bearings on the beams 1 1 and located adjacent to the opposite ends thereof are two substantially parallel rock-shafts 4: 5, each of the same being provided with an arched middle portion and having its ends bent to form the crank-arms 6. The said rock-shafts are connected together, so as to move in unison, by the rod 7, attached to the arched portions thereof, and said rod is connected by a link 8 to an operating-lever 9, fulcrumed on the cross-beam 3, as clearly shown. The lifting-frame is made up of two substantially parallel beams 10 10, preferably constructed of angle-iron, so as to be light and at the same time capable of resisting lateral strain. The said beams are bent at points adjacent to their ends, forming steps 11, by means of which the jack may accommodate itself without adjustment to vehicles of different heights within certain limits. Longitudinally-extensible pitmen 12 12 connect the crank-arms 6 upon each end of the two rock-shafts 4 5 with the beams 10, which constitute the lifting-frame. Each of these pitmen is preferably constructed of two telescopic sections 13 14, the section 13 fitting within the section 14 and adj ustably secured in place by means of the set-screw or other analogous device 15. The pair of pitmen 12 adjacent to the operating-lever 9 are connected to the beams 1 near their opposite ends bydiagonally-arranged braces 16, which serve to control the direction of movement of the upper ends of the pitmen 12 by causing them to swingupon the arc of acircle,of which the point of attachment of the braces 16 to the beams 1 is the center and the length of said braces is the radius. This action in turn causes the movement of the lifting-frame in substantially vertical lines or lines substantially perpendicular to the ground.

From the foregoing description it is thought that the operation of my device will be readily understood. Briefly stated, however, it is as follows: With the parts in the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 1 the device is placed beneath the vehicle to be raised, with the main frame resting on the ground between the side wheels and the front andrear axles of the vehicle resting upon the beams 10, constituting the lifting-frame, adjacent to the opposite ends of the latter. The operating-lever 9 is then depressed, rocking the shafts 4 5 and throwing the crank-arms 6 6 thereon upwardly. This movement of the crank-arms is transmitted, through the pitmen 12, to the lifting-frame, raising the latter and the vehicle supported thereby. When in its elevated position, the vehicle may be washed or its wheels removed for lubricating or other purposes, and when it is desired to lower the vehicle a reverse operation to that described will be performed.

During the movement of the lifting-frame the latter is guided along lines substantially perpendicular to the ground by the braces 16, which connect the forward pitmen 12 with the main frame.

By making the pitmen 12 extensible I am enabled to use my jack for elevating vehicles of any height, it being necessary in order to accommodate it to high vehicles to merely loosen the set-screw l5, pull out the section 13 from the section 14, and readjust the screw.

Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In a lifting-jack, the combination of a pair of parallel rock-shafts having crank-arms on the ends thereof and arched portions intermediate of their ends, a connecting-rod attached to the arched portions of said shafts, a lifting-frame and pitmen connecting said frame with the crank-arms on said shafts.

2. In a lifting-jack, the combination of a pair of parallel rock-shafts having crank-arms 011 the ends thereof and arched port-ions intermediate of their ends, a connecting'rod attached to the arched portions of said shafts, a lifting-frainc, pitmen connecting said frame with the crank-arms on said shaft, an operating-lever fulcruined to a stationary part and a link connecting said lever with said shafts.

3. In a lifting-jack, a rock-shaft having crank-arms thereon,a lifting-frame connected to and operated by said crankarms, and means for causing the movement of said frame in substantially vertical lines.

4. In a lifting-jack, a pair of parallel rockshafts connected together so as to operate in unison and having crank-arms thereon, a lifting-frame, pitmen connecting said frame with said crank-arms, and a brace connecting one of said pitmen with a stationary part.

5. In a lifting-jack,a pair of rock-shafts connected together to operate in unison and having crank-arms thereon, a lifting-frame, and extensible pitmen connecting said frame with said crank-arms.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLARENCE CULVER.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM C. DAVEY, F. W. KNoWLEN. 

